Ottawa – Soldiers Helping Soldiers (SHS) today kicked off the first Grow Potato event to help benefit Ottawa shelters for the homeless.

Mayor Watson, Councillors Blais and Mitic, Victoria Ryan of SHS, Just Food and Micah Garten of the Shepherds of Good Hope, were all on hand to plant potatoes of their own.

“I am proud to help and support Captain Ryan and Soldiers Helping Soldiers in this endeavour,” says Mayor Jim Watson. “Ottawa has a reputation for being a caring City and this is another way for residents to support the amazing people who run and use our shelters,” he adds.

With the support of Just Food, the City of Ottawa and dedicated members of the Armed Forces, SHS challenges members of the public to grow potatoes this summer, to be donated to participating shelters at the end of the growing season.

“Veterans deserve and have earned our support, which is why I am honored to have been asked to help the First Grow Potato project get started,” says Councillor Blais. “While we can’t begin to repay the debt we owe our veterans, contributing to Soldiers Helping Soldiers’ initiatives is a great start.”

Potatoes are among the largest expense in shelter kitchens, a donation made by the public will directly impact the financial bottom lines of the shelters.

“One can easily and for as little as $10, grow 100 lbs of potatoes,” says Captain Ryan. “Potatoes are amongst the largest expense for soup kitchens and they consume tonnes for them every year. They are also extremely versatile, offering an amazing variety of menu options to the cooks,” she adds.

Potatoes are appealing because they keep fresh for months in proper storage and can be grown almost anywhere by just about anyone.

“This is a wonderful SHS project and we’re proud to be a part of it,” says Deirdre Freiheit President and CEO of the Shepherds of Good Hope. “Potatoes are an essential staple. We go through approximately 30 10-lb. bags each week. That’s more than 15,000 lbs. of potatoes every year. The Grow Potato program will help us meet that need.”

“We are supporting this project as it increases awareness about food insecurity among homeless people, while also encouraging a team approach within the community to grow fresh food for those who need it most”, says Just Food’s Community Garden Network Coordinator Jordan Bouchard.

Join us for Ontario’s sustainable food systems conference!

Start-up Farm Program

Just Food established the Start-Up Farm Program to support new farmers in the Ottawa region. By offering access to land, shared infrastructure/equipment, and training, the program aims to enable more people in this region to start their own successful farm business.